Mercerizing-machine.



No. 650,442. Patented May 29, |900.

`F. C. W. STELTER. MERCEBIZING MACHINE.

(Application led Aug. 25, 1899,)

2 Sheets-Sheet |r MMM". www

TH: Nonms Puras co, woraurno., wAsNwc-ron. u. c.

No. 050,442. Patented may 29, |000. l r. 0. w. sTELTEn.

MERCERIZING MACHINE.

(Application Bled Aug. 25, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

N ITED STATES y PATENT y rrrcn.

FRANCIS C. lV. STELTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VIERCERIZING-IVIACHIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 650,442, dated May 29, 1900.

Application filed August 25, 1899.

To @ZZ whom it may concertk Be it known that I, FRANCI'S C. W. STEL'TER, alcitizen of the United States, residing at New York, (Astoria, Long Island,) State of New York, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Merceri'zing-lviachines, 'of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus used for supporting and handling hanks o i skeins of yarn during the dyeing or mercerizing process, andhas for its object the construction of such a machine that will permit easy and ready handling of the material to be dyed or mercerized, while maintaining it under suitable tension; and my invention consists of certain devices and combination of devices, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

A In the drawings forming part of this speciiication, Figure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying myimprovements,rparts being shown in section to more clearly illustrate the connection and arrangement thereof. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of one end of the skein-supporting frames, showing parts in section. Fig/.t is a View, parts being broken away, showing a modification.

Supported so as to freely turn in its upper and lower step-bearings A A is the upright rod B, provided, preferably, at either end with conical or other suitably-formed supporting-bearings b b',seated in correspondinglyshaped recesses in the step-bearings A A', secured to any appropriate framework. In the present instance I have shown the bearings AA' secured to the floor and ceiling, respectively; but they may be attached in any usual manner to any framework, it being necessary only that they shall afford upper and lower bearing means for the upright rod B, in which said rod may freely turn.

Secured to the upright B a short distance above its lower bearing b is a plate B', and in corresponding relation near the upper end of upright B is a similar plate B2. These plates revolve with the upright B and serve to support between them the frame -supports C, which are connected to said plates in any approved manner, as by the small socket-pieces c, into the openings of which the ends of the frame-supports C project and in which they rig. s.

Serial No. 728,516. (No model.)

'and projecting from said sleeves are the coupling-pieces c2, which serve to connect the sleeves C with their respective skein-supports D by means of the long downwardly-projecing arms d. The skein-supports consist of 'the rollers d d2, suitably journaled at dg d10,

Fig. 3, in bearing-sleeves d3 d4, formed on the side arms d5 and d6 of the frame. These rollers are free to turn in their bearings, and the upper roller of each pair constituting the skein-support has its outer bearing-pin eX- tended through the side arm d5 and formed with an angled end d? to receive a crank 'or other means to rotate the roller.

In order that proper tension may be given to the skein of yarn while being subjected to the dyeing or mercerizing process and to enable the skeins to be readily taken off and put on their supporting-frames, I provide the following mechanism: The skein-supporting frame is preferably formed of tubing in order to render it light and durable, and I make the side arms of the frame, preferably in two,

parts d5 and d, the upper part being interiorly screw-threaded to receive the exterior .threads on the screw-shafts C112, connected to the lower part d6 of the side frames. The lower ends of the screw-shafts project into the upper open ends of lower part do of the side frames and have fixedly secured thereto the bevel -gears du. Passing through the lower parts d of the side frames, which are suitably perforated to receive it, is the shaft 115, which carries bevel-gears dw, intermeshing with the corresponding. bevel-gears d1?, secured to the screw-shafts di?. A yoke d17 on either side of the frame embraces at one end the shaftd15 and is bent to looselypembrace, by its other end the screw-shafts C312 above the bevel-gears (114, as will appear from Immediately above this end of the yoke d a washer dlg is secured to the screwshaft by set-screw d. Thus itwilll be seen that while the screw-shaft can be Vfreely rotated through the bevel-gear connection de- IOO the bevel-gears, and consequently the screwshafts, in unison, and thereby move the roller d2 toward and from the upper roller. In order to stiffen the skein-supporting frames, Iy

provide a crcssrod d8 to connect them near the upper ends, and to the shaft 07,15 I secure washers dm el22 on opposite sides of the end of the yoke (217.

The frame-supports C are made hollow,bein g preferably formed of tubin g in which is guided the -counterbalance-weights L, which are connected to the skein-supports D by means of cords or chains l, which pass over guides Z in the upper part of the supports and are connected to the skein-supports D by the eyeboltsc. Thus at all times the skein-supports are counterbalancedfand can be readily moved by hand up or down on the framesupports C.

In Fig. Lllhave shown a slight modification wherein only one frame-support Gis used, and in this case such frame-support is held to turn in suitable bearings s s vand carries, by' the sliding sleeve G', two skein-supports D, which areof the same construction as those above describedv and are counterbalanced by the sliding weight L, whichis connected to said frame-supports by the cords or chains s s'. As in the construction before described, the frame-support C is made of tubing to contain the sliding weight L; but in this form'of construction I preferably, though not necessarily, connect both frames tothe same weight. By making the frame-supports hollow the weights are conveniently inclosed to be out of the way.

Situated around the upright rod B and its frame-supports are a suitable number of tanks or vatsl` 2 3 4, preferably corresponding in number to the frame-supports. These tanks or vats are adapted to contain the dye-baths, or in casethe apparatus is to be used for merceriz-in g one tank or vat will contain the chemicalbath and the next the neutralizing bath, and so on alternately around the entire series of vats, so that as one skein-support and its load ofv fibrous yarn is being treated to one bath the next is in position to be lowered into the adjoining vat, and after treatment therein can be raised, the skein removed, a new one substituted, and the entire series of framesupports turned to the next vat, thus bringing the skein-supports successively over the appropriate vats for treatment or removal.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming the skein-supports to be in raised position, (shown to the left of Fig.l,)the shaft d is revolvedV by a suitable crank to cause the lower roller d2 to approach the upper roller slightly, whereupon aload of yarn in the form of a skein or hank is slipped over the ends of both rollers and the motion of the crank reversedto separate the rollers and put the yarn under tension. The skein-supports are then lowered into the appropriate vats by slight hand-pressure, and in order that all portions of the skein shall be treated the crank is applied to the projecting end d7 of the upper roller and turned to cause the skein to travel around and between both rollers. The peculiar connection of the skein supporting frames-D` tothe sleeves C', by means of the parts c2 c2 and the long down-projecting arm d, permits the skein-supports to be lowered` well into the vats. lVhen the skeinshave re ceived full'treatment in their respective vats, they are raised therefrom by a slight upward pull, the counterbalancing-weight necessitating only a slight expenditure of force, and then the entire series of frame-supports C and upright B are turnedto bring the skein-supports above the next adjacent vats, into which they are lowered, as before, andthe operation of turning the upper rollers is repeated. It will thus be seen thatwhile the device is of very simple construction it has a very large capacityf and'V is easily operated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, isp 1. In a machine for dyeing or merceri'zing,

the combination of ak central revol'uble upright, plates connected to the upper andlower'- ends of said upright, a plurality of vertical frame-supports connected atl their upper and lower ends to said plates, skein-supporting frames slidingly supported on said frame-supports, andcounterbalance-weightsconnected to said frames.

42. In a machine for dyeingor mercerizing, the combination of a hollow frame-support,.a counterbalance-weight movable in andguided by said support, a sleeve mounted to have sliding movement on said frame-support, a skein-supporting frame depending from` said sleeve and odset therefrom, and connections between said skein-supportin g frame and the counterbalance-weight.

3. In a machine for dyeing or mercerizing, the combination of a central revoluble upright, verticalframe-supports adapted to revolve therewith, and skein-supporting frames slidingly mounted on said frame-supports.

4. In a machine for dyeing or mercerizing, the combination of a central revoluble upright, hollow frame-supports mounted to revolve therewith, skein-supports having sliding connection with said frame-supports, a counterbalance movable in each of said framesupports, and connections between the counterbalance and the sliding skein-supports.

5. In a machine for dyeing or mercerizing, the combination of a plurality of vertical frame-supports connected together to turn IOO about a common axis, and Vskein-supporting frames slidingly mounted upon said vertical supports to have independent vertical adj ustment.

G. In a machine for dyeing or mercerizing, the combination of a revoluble upright, framesupports connected thereto to revolve therewith, sleeves mounted to slide on said framesnpports, skein-supporting frames offset and said sleeve, and couplings to offset the skeins support from said sleeve.

9. A skein-support consisting of two side arms one of which is prolonged above the sup'- port, rollers journaled in said side arms, means to revolve one of said rollers, devices for adjusting the distance between the rollers, and a supporting-sleeve connected to the prolonged side arm.

10. The combination of a hollow revoluble frame-support, a skein-support connected to slide thereon, a counterbalance-weight movable Within said frame-support, and connection between the skein-support and said counterbalance.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRANCIS C. W. STELTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN PLZ, JULIA LACKEY. 

